Unintentional opioid poisonings took the lives of 1370 North Carolinians in 2015, a 391% increase since 1999. And this is just the tip of the iceberg: for every unintentional opioid overdose death in NC, there are 3 hospitalizations, 4 ED visits, 432 people who are not using the opioid medication in the way intended, and over 9,000 prescriptions written for opioids. Several NC cities and counties have some of the highest rates of opioid use and misuse in the nation.

This public health crisis is taking a huge toll on families, communities, health systems, and federal, state, and local economies. In 2014, the total societal costs of the opioid epidemic in North Carolina reached an estimated $2 billion: $582 million in healthcare costs from opioid abuse and $1.5 billion in loss of future productivity and medical costs from overdose deaths. Much of this cost burdens our already under-resourced public systems and services.

The problem is enormous, but there are concrete, actionable steps that healthcare providers and systems can take to address this crisis and prevent overdose and other fallout from opioid misuse.

The Opioid and Prescription Drug Abuse Advisory Committee (OPDAAC)(See OPDAAC Partners) is a multi-disciplinary group established by the NC General Assembly and led by DPH and DMH. The OPDAAC workgroups strive to coordinate a state response to the opioid epidemic and is focused on North Carolina’s Opioid Action Plan. The primary purpose of this website is to provide useful clinical resources for prescribers, dispensers, and other healthcare providers.